Opportunistic  Chapters 1 and 2
by Luminouse Valeron
Summary: Luminouse puts a whole new meaning to "close encounters". And in the end, he's still standing... right?
1. Close Encounters

Chapter One

The trees of Eversong raced passed as Luminouse pursued his target on his life-long horse, Azalea. The pursuit had gone on for only a few minutes, and the enemy's mount was quickly growing more and more weary. The breach between the two was quickly closing. Luminouse began digging his boots into the stirrups, preparing to dive towards the human whose chances of escaping were growing slimmer and slimmer. _Just a few more seconds_, Luminouse thought to himself. Any impulsive jump could ruin the pursuit in a matter of seconds.

Azalea continued to edge closer and closer to the enemy as Luminouse' grasp tightened around the reins. It still didn't feel the time was right. He knew he must eradicate any chance of failure. Seconds passed and Luminouse was finally parallel to the human, covered in hulking plate body armor. Now was the time, so his feet pressed firmly against the stirrups, launching himself from Azalea and towards the human. Arms extended, he wraps them around the warrior's stomach, knocking him from his mount.

Chains and plates clanged together in a vicious mix of metal colliding and dust being scraped from the soil as the two landed on the ground, wrestling each other until one of them was on their backs. Several punches were thrown by Luminouse, many of them landing square on the warrior's nose. Luminouse could feel the cartilage weakening, and eventually fracturing.

Finally, both were on their feet, and Luminouse had drawn a lengthy, one-handed blade with a hollow end. The vacant end was filled with a large, green sphere of unknown energy. Luminouse was neither an aggressive nor passive fighter. Instead, his strategy was more opportunistic, which he had inherited from his brother, a rogue named Alekiah. The warrior, with both an common long-sword and shield in hand, swung the sleek weapon toward Luminouse' head. This was exactly the type of opportunity that Luminouse searched for during combat.

Hastily bringing his blade up, pointed at the warrior's head, the blade absorbs the blow. Luminouse swiftly brings his foot up, grunting as it collides with the human's stomach. The warrior doubles over in agony. Luminouse had him exactly where he wanted him. Luminouse smirks, backhanding the human with all his might. This sent him to the ground on his back.

He slowly took a few steps towards the warrior.

"Simply _too_ eas-," his words were interrupted with a sharp kick to the face. Blood poured from Luminouse' nose. The warrior was already on his feet, and had began to leap towards Luminouse, the human's weapon on a path towards his chest. It was now or never. As his only hope, Luminouse quickly took a hold of his weapon, hurriedly pointing it towards the warrior's chest. Instead of landing on Luminouse, the human's chest met his blade, the weapon effortlessly piercing the breastplate and finally the man's heart. His corpse had stopped halfway impaled by the blade. Luminouse released his grip on his weapon, allowing both the blade and the body to fall next to him, the warrior laying dead on his side.

Chapter Two

Letting out a long groan, Luminouse slowly rises to his feet, staring at his lifeless enemy for a moment. He slowly shakes his head, grinning faintly. _This fool nearly killed me._ He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, quickly yanking the blade from his chest. Azalea quietly trotted up to Luminouse' side. He smiled, placing a hand on the bridge of the horse's nose.

Guardedly, he approaches the body, searching for any form of identification. He sighs, failing to find anything of value. Taking one last search of the corpse, he notices a large crest attached to the warrior's girdle. It was detachable. Luminouse narrowed his eyes suspiciously for a moment before snatching it and placing it in his bundle, which was safely secured on Azalea.

He held his fingers beneath his nose as holy Light began to flow to his nose in a stream. The blood slowly dissipated and the Light internally mended the bone in his nose. Luckily, Luminouse was a paladin, allowing him to mend himself when no other medics were accessible.

"You should have just killed the man while you had the chance." Chuckling could be heard behind Luminouse. He turns, grinning. This was the voice of Alekiah, his brother.

"Very funny. Show yourself, coward," Luminouse said in a taunting but friendly manner. The form of an elf with dark, black hair and equipped in blue armor had appeared in front of him from thin air.

"I don't think you can comprehend how difficult it was for me to stand there and watch. I wanted to just finish it." Alekiah grins, folding his arms. His voice was soft behind his black bandanna that was wrapped around his face, covering his mouth.

"He's deceased, and I'm alive and well. That ought to be all that matters." Luminouse takes the Azalea's reins, spinning on his heel and heading back towards Silvermoon. He beckons Alekiah to walk with him. Alekiah sprints up next to him in a split second.

"Where are you heading?" Alekiah brushed his gloves together, staring ahead for a moment.

"Silvermoon. Where else?" Luminouse chuckled at the tremendously evident question. The two could see the city walls from where they were.

"You're still messing around with that woman…? What was her name… Mee- … Mea.." Alekiah continued to throw out many various beginnings of names, only to give up after a few more attempts.

"Meash'amel. And yes, Alek. I adore her." Luminouse smiles just from the thought of her. He'd only known her for around a week, and she was practically all he thought of.

"You're an skilled, gifted paladin. Why get caught up in a relationship?" The two approached the city gates, rounding a couple corners before entering the city.

"Alekiah, you've been in my position before. Surely that will answer your question." He grins. "You and I both know what love will do to a man." Luminouse peers down the lane, smiling slightly. He was home.

"Fair enough. I yield." Alekiah rolls his eyes, his arms remaining crossed. He peers over his shoulder, smiling at Azalea and patting her nose just as Luminouse does.

"He's right, you know." A recognizable voice, one of a female elf had projected itself behind the two. It was Meash'amel. The two skidded to a stop on their heels, turning to face the voice. Luminouse' face lit up as his heart soared.

"He's already proven me wrong," Alekiah replied with a grin. "No need to add insult to injury." Meash'amel was more attractive than the usual female elf. Her black hair was up in a ponytail often, equipped in leather armor. She approached Luminouse, offering a small peck on the lips. She took his hand and turned to face Alekiah.

"What have you two been up to..?" She peers at Alekiah, then to Luminouse, noticing the layer of blood on his blade.

"There was a human raising hell in Fairbreeze. I'll tell you about it in a while." Luminouse smirked, noticing her observation of his blade. Alekiah's figure slowly began to fade, nearly vanishing.

"Well, this situation has become slightly romantic. I suppose I'll take my leave." Alekiah grins, slowly vanishing.

"You're brother, I tell you," Meash'amel says with a chuckle. Luminouse sighs, smiling.

"I know. I'll fix him someday." He shrugs slightly, beginning to head down the lane, hand and hand with Meash'amel.


	2. Your Brother

Chapter One

The trees of Eversong raced passed as Luminouse pursued his target on his life-long horse, Azalea. The pursuit had gone on for only a few minutes, and the enemy's mount was quickly growing more and more weary. The breach between the two was quickly closing. Luminouse began digging his boots into the stirrups, preparing to dive towards the human whose chances of escaping were growing slimmer and slimmer. _Just a few more seconds_, Luminouse thought to himself. Any impulsive jump could ruin the pursuit in a matter of seconds.

Azalea continued to edge closer and closer to the enemy as Luminouse' grasp tightened around the reins. It still didn't feel the time was right. He knew he must eradicate any chance of failure. Seconds passed and Luminouse was finally parallel to the human, covered in hulking plate body armor. Now was the time, so his feet pressed firmly against the stirrups, launching himself from Azalea and towards the human. Arms extended, he wraps them around the warrior's stomach, knocking him from his mount.

Chains and plates clanged together in a vicious mix of metal colliding and dust being scraped from the soil as the two landed on the ground, wrestling each other until one of them was on their backs. Several punches were thrown by Luminouse, many of them landing square on the warrior's nose. Luminouse could feel the cartilage weakening, and eventually fracturing.

Finally, both were on their feet, and Luminouse had drawn a lengthy, one-handed blade with a hollow end. The vacant end was filled with a large, green sphere of unknown energy. Luminouse was neither an aggressive nor passive fighter. Instead, his strategy was more opportunistic, which he had inherited from his brother, a rogue named Alekiah. The warrior, with both an common long-sword and shield in hand, swung the sleek weapon toward Luminouse' head. This was exactly the type of opportunity that Luminouse searched for during combat.

Hastily bringing his blade up, pointed at the warrior's head, the blade absorbs the blow. Luminouse swiftly brings his foot up, grunting as it collides with the human's stomach. The warrior doubles over in agony. Luminouse had him exactly where he wanted him. Luminouse smirks, backhanding the human with all his might. This sent him to the ground on his back.

He slowly took a few steps towards the warrior.

"Simply _too_ eas-," his words were interrupted with a sharp kick to the face. Blood poured from Luminouse' nose. The warrior was already on his feet, and had began to leap towards Luminouse, the human's weapon on a path towards his chest. It was now or never. As his only hope, Luminouse quickly took a hold of his weapon, hurriedly pointing it towards the warrior's chest. Instead of landing on Luminouse, the human's chest met his blade, the weapon effortlessly piercing the breastplate and finally the man's heart. His corpse had stopped halfway impaled by the blade. Luminouse released his grip on his weapon, allowing both the blade and the body to fall next to him, the warrior laying dead on his side.

Chapter Two

Letting out a long groan, Luminouse slowly rises to his feet, staring at his lifeless enemy for a moment. He slowly shakes his head, grinning faintly. _This fool nearly killed me._ He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, quickly yanking the blade from his chest. Azalea quietly trotted up to Luminouse' side. He smiled, placing a hand on the bridge of the horse's nose.

Guardedly, he approaches the body, searching for any form of identification. He sighs, failing to find anything of value. Taking one last search of the corpse, he notices a large crest attached to the warrior's girdle. It was detachable. Luminouse narrowed his eyes suspiciously for a moment before snatching it and placing it in his bundle, which was safely secured on Azalea.

He held his fingers beneath his nose as holy Light began to flow to his nose in a stream. The blood slowly dissipated and the Light internally mended the bone in his nose. Luckily, Luminouse was a paladin, allowing him to mend himself when no other medics were accessible.

"You should have just killed the man while you had the chance." Chuckling could be heard behind Luminouse. He turns, grinning. This was the voice of Alekiah, his brother.

"Very funny. Show yourself, coward," Luminouse said in a taunting but friendly manner. The form of an elf with dark, black hair and equipped in blue armor had appeared in front of him from thin air.

"I don't think you can comprehend how difficult it was for me to stand there and watch. I wanted to just finish it." Alekiah grins, folding his arms. His voice was soft behind his black bandanna that was wrapped around his face, covering his mouth.

"He's deceased, and I'm alive and well. That ought to be all that matters." Luminouse takes the Azalea's reins, spinning on his heel and heading back towards Silvermoon. He beckons Alekiah to walk with him. Alekiah sprints up next to him in a split second.

"Where are you heading?" Alekiah brushed his gloves together, staring ahead for a moment.

"Silvermoon. Where else?" Luminouse chuckled at the tremendously evident question. The two could see the city walls from where they were.

"You're still messing around with that woman…? What was her name… Mee- … Mea.." Alekiah continued to throw out many various beginnings of names, only to give up after a few more attempts.

"Meash'amel. And yes, Alek. I adore her." Luminouse smiles just from the thought of her. He'd only known her for around a week, and she was practically all he thought of.

"You're an skilled, gifted paladin. Why get caught up in a relationship?" The two approached the city gates, rounding a couple corners before entering the city.

"Alekiah, you've been in my position before. Surely that will answer your question." He grins. "You and I both know what love will do to a man." Luminouse peers down the lane, smiling slightly. He was home.

"Fair enough. I yield." Alekiah rolls his eyes, his arms remaining crossed. He peers over his shoulder, smiling at Azalea and patting her nose just as Luminouse does.

"He's right, you know." A recognizable voice, one of a female elf had projected itself behind the two. It was Meash'amel. The two skidded to a stop on their heels, turning to face the voice. Luminouse' face lit up as his heart soared.

"He's already proven me wrong," Alekiah replied with a grin. "No need to add insult to injury." Meash'amel was more attractive than the usual female elf. Her black hair was up in a ponytail often, equipped in leather armor. She approached Luminouse, offering a small peck on the lips. She took his hand and turned to face Alekiah.

"What have you two been up to..?" She peers at Alekiah, then to Luminouse, noticing the layer of blood on his blade.

"There was a human raising hell in Fairbreeze. I'll tell you about it in a while." Luminouse smirked, noticing her observation of his blade. Alekiah's figure slowly began to fade, nearly vanishing.

"Well, this situation has become slightly romantic. I suppose I'll take my leave." Alekiah grins, slowly vanishing.

"You're brother, I tell you," Meash'amel says with a chuckle. Luminouse sighs, smiling.

"I know. I'll fix him someday." He shrugs slightly, beginning to head down the lane, hand and hand with Meash'amel.


End file.
